Surrounded by the majestic heights of snow-capped mountains and volcanoes, valleys and lagoons, and adorned with vibrant green and flowered vegetation, lies the ancestral city of Quito. Here you can encounter the legacy of indigenous, millenarian cultures and a monumental colonial heritage that coexist with modern urbanism. Together, they foster a diversity of knowledges and identities all guided and protected by the stars and constellations that light up the night sky over the “middle of the world.”

Quito is the capital of Ecuador, a pluricultural society comprised of 13 distinct indigenous nations, who along with African descendents, make up approximately one third of the population. The remaining Ecuadorians are either mestizo or white.

The country is geographically divided by the Andean mountain range, separating the tropical Pacific coastal region in the west from the Amazon region in the east. Along with the Galapagos Islands, the two regions constitute one of the most ecologically and biologically diverse regions in the world. This is the home of Duke in the Andes, or Duke en América Andina as we are known in Ecuador.

Map of Ecuador (with Quito)

UN Map of Ecuador

Last revised: 27 February 2008